Blog 20: Room Creativity

(1) How do you plan to address the room creativity expectation?


For the room activity I'm planning on decorating the walls like the rooms in my pediatricians office. There are really cute wallpaper designs made for little kids so they feel more comfortable in the patient rooms and on the walls are really informative posters of healthy food portions, vaccine charts, and things that are commonly found in medical offices. If I dont go with this idea, I want to set up my room to make it look like a medical student classroom. The audience will act as med students and I'll act as a chief pediatric resident to give the lesson a theme. This way I can keep the room simpler and use props such as pretend cadavers, ekg machines, etc.

(2) What activity ideas do you have for answer 1 or 2?


I want to simulate rounds for my first answer which is having a dedication to learning. Ill have multiple groups to do rounds in different specialties before choosing a residency. Ex. Surgical rounds will consist of stitching an orange. Dermatology will try to determine cancerous types of moles or something. 

Blog 19: Answer 2

EQ : What is the best way to become a successful pediatrician?

Answer 2: A best way to to become a successful pediatrician is by understanding what preventative medicine is and using it as a main goal when treating patients.

Evidence and Sources: 

1) Science Fair Project: "The Poor Man's Diet: A Statistical Correlation Between A Person's Income and BMI"

I realized while doing my experiment the importance of practicing preventative medicine to prevent disease. I did my science experiment on obesity and I did a lot of research on the effects of obesity on youth and adults. The outcomes are devastating because they lead to life long chronic illnesses that are very threatening and can lead to a person's death. I found that if pediatricians don't have this mindset, then studies like the ones I conducted would not be important because the data acquired wouldn't be used to help patients.

2) Service Learning/Interview with Dr. Mahfoud


My service learning mentor gave me insight as to what preventative medicine is. A definition that was quite similar to what he gave me was found on the American Board of Preventative Medicine: "Preventive Medicine is the specialty of medical practice that focuses on the health of individuals, communities, and defined populations. Its goal is to protect, promote, and maintain health and well-being and to prevent disease, disability, and death." While shadowing, I saw preventative medicine being applied in the treatment of his patients. His questions about their diet, exercise and overall lifestyle was an example of how it was applied because it went above and beyond what is required for a standard physical. This knowledge will help him determine if there are further actions that need to be taken in order to keep the child healthy and safe.

3) American Board of Pediatrics and American Board of Preventative Medicine 

The American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Preventative Medicine are two sites that showed me about the importance and specifics of of preventative medicine. 

Blog 18: The Product

As of March, my product is that I've become a better researcher because of my work put into the science fair. I feel this is my best product because as a successful pediatrician, you cannot have the mindset that you will be solely adequate in clinical care. Throughout the course of medical school and possibly residency, research plays a major role. This goes to say that without having a solid foundation of knowing how to research, possible careers during residency/fellowship may be eliminated or overlooked due to lack of knowledge in the particular subject.

Evidence: Science Fair Award

Blog 17: Fourth Interview Questions

• 20 questions
• Open-ended
• Do not use is, are, did questions
• Purpose of the questions: To help you answer your EQ or understand your answers.

1. Do you see any problems managing a professional and personal life?

2. Aside from treating patients, what other responsibilities do you have working here?

3. How do the advancements of modern technology play a role in your career?

4. What do you do in order to mentally separate yourself from your job?

5. What legacy do you want to leave behind?

6. What type of mentality should a doctor have in order to practice efficiently?

7. Are there any particular experiences/stories that you still think about to this day?

8. Do you feel working with children requires a special characteristic/trait that other types of doctors do not possess? 

9. What does a successful pediatrician mean to you?

10. When practicing preventative medicine, what is the best way to motivate kids to stay healthy?

11. Can you tell if the adolescent lies to you when you question him or her about drugs, sex, and drinking?

12. What was the most important book source you used while learning how to become a pediatrician? What do you recommend I read?

13. Did you have any inspiring mentors as an aspiring pediatrician?

14. What is the strangest thing you have ever seen?

15. What similarity do you see in all parents?

16. What is the best advice you could give on handling difficult parents and children?

17. What qualities would you look for in a partner in order to run a successful practice?

18. Do you see yourself having more friends in the medical profession or in other professions?

19. Do you think marrying a doctor made your career easier or more difficult?

20. Who would you recommend I talk to, to get more insight in the field?
21. Where do you see the medical field five years from now?

Blog 16: Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

 (1) Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.

For my independent component, I plan on continuing what I've done for my first component which is shadowing at Glendora and Volunteering at San Dimas Community Hospital's OB department.

(2) Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.

I go to San Dimas every Monday and Friday for 3 hours each day. Every other week I shadow at Glendora for three hours. At a consistent pace, I will easily meet this requirement. 

(3) How does your independent study component relate to your EQ?

My independent study relates to my EQ because the point of my senior project is to find out what the best way to become a successful pediatrician is. I can think of no better way to find an answer to this question other than actually watching pediatricians in action and at the same time expose myself to a hospital environment.   

Blog 15: Independent Component 1

Content:

·     Log of hours on a calendar: click here

·     Evidence of the 30 hours of work:

This is my time card from Glendora Pediatrics. 

This is my uniform and badge from San Dimas Community Hospital.

Literal

(a) “I, Terrin Liwag, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.” 

(b) I have completed 30 hours of work by shadowing two pediatricians at Glendora Pediatrics and volunteering in the Maternity Department at San Dimas Community Hospital. While shadowing at Glendora Pediatrics, I usually get in at two in the afternoon once a week and go in the rooms with the pediatrician. I watch how he or she treats each patient and write down observations. I have the opportunity to ask questions and do informal interviews when there are no patients present. When both doctors are busy, I file charts. I leave around five.


At San Dimas Community Hospital, I do a lot more receptionist type of work. When it is a slow day, I sit at the nurse station front desk and answer calls as well as call departments for OB needs. When the day is a little busy, I put together patient charts that are ready to go when a new patient arrives. I make welcome packets, sticker new charts, bring specimens to the lab, and go into the rooms to make sure the patients don't need anything. I answer the call lights, fold linens, restock the storage room, and help push the enter button for visiting family. 

Interpretive

For my independent component, I've learned what it is like to work in a medical environment by exposing myself through volunteer work. I've demonstrated thirty hours of work by continuously going to both clinics two to three times a week. The significance of my work would be what I've learned to do at the hospital and what I have learned through watching the two pediatricians. Whist shadowing, I've familiarized myself with the usual procedure that is conducted when I child is sick e.g. asking about medical history, checking the ears, nose, throat, heart rate, etc.

Applied

How did it help you answer your EQ?  Be specific and use examples.

I feel this component has helped me answer my EQ because I get to actually see what it is like working as a pediatrician since I shadow two. When I'm over at San Dimas, I get the opportunity to work in the nurses station so not only do I get the physician experience, but the nurse experience as well. One possible answer I have is be exceptional at working under pressure. What really made this answer true was when I witnessed a terrifying situation two weeks ago. A mother and father ran into the nurses station saying that their baby was turning purple. The nurses did the Heimlich maneuver and the baby seemed better so they put him back in the room. Ten minutes later it happened again. After a third time of discoloration in both the baby's face and extremities, the baby was taken into the nursery and they realized he was having seizures, cutting of his oxygen supply to the brain. The baby's back became arched, feet stiff, and eyes rolling to the back of the head. This happened all within thirty minutes and it suddenly turned into a TV show where nurses where saying "I need a doctor stat!" and doctors came charging into the room with an I.V. and this huge crash cart. It was intense to say the least but it made me realize, if I am going to be a pediatrician, I need to be ready for these kind of situations. 

Blog 14: Presentation 2 Rough Draft

Click here to see my presentation 2 rough draft.